Electric stun guns that can blast out a 50,000-volt shock are to be used in Birmingham in the battle against violent crime.

Electric stun guns that can blast out a 50,000-volt shock are to be used in Birmingham in the battle against violent crime.

The Taser M26 can supply a knockout blow at up to 21 feet, giving police a safer option when dealing with suspected gunmen.

All 130 firearms officers within the West Midlands force will be issued with the weapon following a 12-month trial.

But police stress officers will still also have their conventional weapons when tackling any suspected gun incident.

The Taser fires a wire containing two small barbs into the target. The current then travels from the gun, along the wire and into to the barbs which are embedded in the suspect.

Manufacturers say that the blast of electricity is so short the target is stunned rather than suffering permanent damage.

But civil liberties groups are worried about the kind of incidents Tasers will be deployed in and the safety of the electric blast on people with heart conditions.

The Save Our Civil Liberties pressure group in America claims they have identified 90 cases of death following a police Taser strike since September 1999.

But Inspector Andrew Crowson, from the Firearms Operations Unit, said: "We are constantly seeking less lethal options to resolve dangerous situations as safely as possible.

"Taser reduces the risk to officers called upon to deal with a violent offender because it can be fired from a distance. Ultimately we believe it can only further improve public safety.

"However, it is important to stress that Taser is not a replacement for firearms and, where officers face a threat from firearms, they will meet that threat with firearms." During the trials, carried out by five police forces, the Taser was deployed alongside conventional firearms in 60 situations.